“He’s feeling better” – Bayer 04 Leverkusen boss gives update on Victor Boniface following Libya ordeal
Bayer 04 Leverkusen head coach, Xabi Alonso, has given an update on the condition of Nigerian striker, Victor Okoh Boniface, following their bust-up in Libya, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 23-year-old forward, alongside the rest of the Nigerian Football players and staff travelled to Libya for their AFCON 2025 qualifying game but were not allowed to land at their designated airport, rather they were redirected to another airport 300km away.
Upon safe landing at the airport they were sent to, the players and staff were not allowed to leave the airport terminal for over fourteen hours, and were without food and internet during that period.
Boniface, alongside the rest of his national teammates have since returned to their respective club sides, but not all of these players are at peak condition following what happened during the International break.
Alonso, speaking ahead of Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s clash against Eintracht Frankfurt today, revealed he’s unsure the former Union Saint-Gilloise forward will be fit to start, whilst stating that Libya’s treatment of the Nigerian players is an unpleasant one.
“We’ll see tomorrow. If he can play, that means he’s feeling better. That’s the most important thing. We’ve spoken. It’s not pleasant what happened, but he’s had enough time to train,” the former Real Madrid midfielder said in quotes revealed by Frankfurter Allgemeine.
Die Werkself are currently 6th on the Bundesliga table, but could go joint top today if they secure three points against Die Adler at the Bay Arena.
Adefolahan Guerreiro
Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria.
With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience.
He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.
